We're heading out on the Elation on Sunday for a week of R&R&R. I know some posters here have taken the same cruise we're taking so I'm hoping I can get some advice. Mainly, how did you handle the money situation? How does tipping work? What about buying alcohol on the ship. Did you get traveler's check for when you were in port? What about the excursions? I'm trying to figure out how much cash to take and what not. Thanks in advance.
On the two cruises I've been on (Norwegian & Carnival), you get this little card that is hooked up to your credit card. On the boat, they take NO cash whatsoever. I think you might be able to put a cash deposit down if you don't want to give them a credit card, but it is a lot of hassle. On some cruise lines the tipping is built in, but on others there is a suggested amount that you should tip each day per person and you leave it in a little envelope at the end of the cruise. I'm sure if you check your cruise line's website, you'll get a lot of info.
I went on a cruise to Cabo a year ago (Holland America). My experience was pretty much the same regarding everything going on your key card. If I remember correctly we didn't tip on board at all. I think gratuities was already added in the bill prior to the cruise.
One tip on alcohol...It expensive! I put two bottles of liquor in some plastic water bottles onto the boat and used the cokes that they provide in rooms as mixers. I've been on 2 Canival cruises, the first on Elation. I didn't prepare right and ended with a $666 (for one person) bar and exursion bill at the end. Beers are like 4 bucks a piece. The shark swim in Belize is really cool as was the booze cruise in Cozumel from what I can remember. Do as many activities on the boat as you can, you're on it for most the cruise and there isn't a bunch of stuff do during that time. Have fun!
Yeah, we're going to take a couple of bottles of vodka in water bottles as well as some tonic water in others.
They're very adamant about not bringing alcohol on the ship. What about the travelers checks? That's my biggest question.
I wouldn't worry about travelers checks. I think they are a waste of time. When you hit land most eating places, and port malls take credit cards and if you're on an exursion than the food is included anyway. If you wanna take a few bucks to shop with then I would go the cash route. Depending on what you wanna buy I'd probably take $200-300 bucks cash for the whole trip.
Blake, I am a freaking cruise master. I've been on 6 of them, 4 with carnival. You are doing the right thing by bringing some liquor with you. It's easy to get on, we usually just wrap some bottles in towels in our bags. Another thing..they allow you to carry on cokes. Every cruise we go on we each carry on a 12 pack of cokes/sprites. This will save you lots of money so you wont have to buy any mixers for your liquor, plus like I said they allow it anyways. As for money, they will give you a card right when you get on the ship. You basically use that all week when you purchase anything on the ship, then you pay the bill when you leave. As for tips, they will tell you what is customary. It's not like you have to tip, most people do though. When you eat lunch/dinner or whatever in the dining room, you can ask for as much as you want. Like one night they were serving lobster, so I said just bring me 4 lobster tails. You're for sure going to gain a few pounds, there is great food everywhere. I think you're cruise is stopping in Cozumel. You must go to Carlos and Charlies while you are there. It's always a great fun drunkfest. Oh last tip...when you first register before getting on the ship, they will ask if you ever been on any other cruises with Carnival. Even if you haven't, tell them you have been on others. This will get you signed up for the private party for returning guests. It's not a big event or anything, but they pass around free drinks for the entire hour it lasts. This has happened on every cruise I've been on, so make sure you get there. I usually like to go there and get loaded, then hit the blackjack tables. Oh yeah...the Elation has a topless deck. Enjoy.
On the next to last day, they will leave envelopes in your room for the tips. They will tell you what is customary like I said. Then you just give them to your waiter/assistant waiter at dinner on the last night, and if your tipping your room steward you just leave it on the desk.
They give you little envelopes to place the tips in and hand to each person at the end of the cruise.. I forget how much you give, but ask the front desk or it will be playing on one of the in-ship info channels.. 1. Cabin steward 2. Head waiter 3. Waiter 4. Drink guy 5. other people I cant remember right now.. One last thing.. I’m a huge cigar buff, DON’T BUY ANY “Cuban” cigars from people on the street and 90% of stores, you might as well smoke a cheap ass swisher because they're not real… The only place to buy real stuff is a “La Casa Del Habano” and then you’re going to spend 25+ a stick.. sorry to ramble on, but it drives me up the wall when I see people spending good money on cigars full of trash and beetles..
For tips: On the last day, leave your pee pee wrapped in the undercarriage of the envelope. Proceed to hide under maid's cover's with envelope sticking (pardon the pun) out. When she takes the envelope, proceed to laugh at her, and then run away. You tend to save a ton of tips this way.
Or, you highjack the ship and ram it into the Palms at Dubai, escaping with your pre-packed scuba gear before anyone boards. You should always exit dramatically.
I got married in Cozumel in April while we were cruising on the Elation. We had a great time, except my wife got sick when we ran into some rough seas. We were in the front of the boat and there was a lot of up and down motion mixed in with the typical side to side. It was rough on her and she had the motion sickness patch. Anyway, if motion sickness is a problem for you, you might want to try and get a cabin towards the back. We snorkeled in Belize, but the shark swim wasn't available which sucked. Cozumel, we got married at the Nachi Cocum beach club. In Progreso, we took a bus for an all you can drink party at a private beach. It wasn't a planned excursion from the boat, but the taxi service that picks you up from the boat made the suggestion. We got totally wasted and that was probably the best party time that we had during the cruise. I spent a bunch of time in the sing-along piano bar because the piano player there was really cool and he let me play his piano and sing as much as I wanted to which was real nice because our families don't ever get to come out to see me play. Already mentioned, but worth mentioning again is the food. When ordering at the sit down dinner, you should order two of everything even if it's just to try something new. One night I ate three orders of Prime Rib which was my favorite. I gained a few just married pounds that first week. The late night pizza bar was a great way to end a night of drinking. They don't have it on the menu, but the Calzone's are really good. I still crave them from time to time. Drinks are expensive on the boat, but try not to think about the price too much or it'll keep you from having a good time. As far as bringing your own on board, I don't think that they really check your bags for the stuff, so just wrapping in towels should do the trick. A couple that we befriended said that they brought a case of beer on board and that the baggage guy said that it would be okay because they don't really check for that stuff. They just make a big deal of it when you are booking the cruise with the hopes that will scare you from bringing your own. I'm jealous that you get to go. I probably won't get to go on another cruise in my life because my wife had such a bad time on the last day at sea. Good luck.
So, you just leave cash for the tips? How much do you estimate I should have for that? Thanks for all the great info! I'm even more excited!
I just asked the wife. We're just guessing here, but we think the total for tips is usually around $125 if you follow their averages. It could be a little more or less than that, but that's the ballpark you're looking at. And yeah, you just leave cash in the envelopes. I think one of the people they suggest you tip is the Maitre D, but those guys never do much as far as we could tell. We usually tip our waiter and assistant waiters a little more than reccomended, and dont tip the Maitre D at all.
